THE LIFE WHICH IS IN CHRIST JESUS (2)
THE LIFE WHICH IS IN CHRIST JESUS (2)
Romans 5:10; Romans 5:17-21; Romans 6:1-4; Romans 6:22,23
JT It is thought we should look at Romans and see the place our subject has in that great epistle. What is in mind in these readings is to stress life viewed in its present activity. Eternal life is more positional and fixed. At the last meeting we considered life as seen in 2 Timothy, viewing it in relation to the present difficult days. It is thought we should consider it now in its normal setting, that is, in the epistles which develop the truth of christianity. Romans is the initial one — the greatest in this sense. Although eternal life is also mentioned in these two chapters, life in an active sense comes under review in chapter 5. First, Christ’s life by which we are saved, which is a remarkable phase of it; then that we reign in life; and finally how we are justified by life. Chapter 6 conveys the idea of life as in the wilderness, the newness of it as coming under the eyes of men; and then, verses 19 - 22, through righteousness and holiness in ourselves, we reach the end, eternal life. “Saved in the power of his life”, involves Christ’s present position in heaven. Having the Holy Spirit, we participate in His life.
AR Is it a new Head in chapter 5, in contrast to Adam?
JT Yes; in contrast to Adam, through whom death had come. That is, beginning with verse 12; but verse 10 comes into the section treating of our justification and salvation; so it is said, “Much rather therefore, having been now justified in the power of his blood, we shall be saved by him from wrath. For if, being enemies, we have been reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much rather, having been reconciled, we shall be saved in the power of his life” (verses 9, 10). “Having been reconciled”, therefore (verse 10), is an advanced thought in the great doctrine of the gospel: justified by blood, saved from wrath, reconciled, saved by Christ’s life.
ANW “Saved by him from wrath” — would that be negative, and “saved in the power of his life”, the positive side?
JT That is how the truth ought to be worked out. Wrath is revealed from heaven and men are exposed to it. So that as “justified in the power of his blood”, we are saved from that; but salvation by His life is positive experience for the present time.
CAM Is reconciliation here a great objective fact?
JT Yes; it is “through the death of his Son”; this part of the gospel is to be apprehended by faith. Then having been reconciled, we shall be saved in the power of His life. Salvation by blood from wrath and reconciliation are matters of faith — once for all, we may say — but salvation by life, as having been reconciled, is clearly something wrought out through the believer’s participation in Christ’s life. It is a practical reality, implying nearness to Him. It is to be taken home by each to himself. It is for us now to see how this matter of salvation by the life of Christ is to be worked out; first appropriated as light and then worked out. Clearly it cannot be worked out at a distance, for His life is in Himself. “Because I live ye also shall live”, John 14: 19. It is a truth to be apprehended in an objective sense, but to be experienced in our souls as worked out by the Spirit. It is future only in the sense that each one has to lay hold of the life of Christ and experience it as present salvation. Wrath, as seen in this epistle, is in its application future and salvation from it is by Christ through His blood, but salvation by the life of Christ is a present fact entering into our daily experience.
[p. 23] RWS Does this go as far as quickening?
JT It involves quickening, but quickening is a direct divine act, and what we come into here is the active life of Christ now.
EMcK Paul says, “... and no longer live, I, but Christ lives in me; but in that I now live in flesh, I live by faith, the faith of the Son of God, who has loved me and given himself for me”, Galatians 2: 20. Is that what is meant here?
JT It is, only in another connection — shutting out law as a principle not governing christian life. The apostle says, “Who has loved me and given himself for me”. He does not go so far as to say who loves me, but who has loved me. It is an historical matter, not necessarily active in his soul; whereas what we are speaking of involves nearness to Christ as participating in His life. Romans 5: 10, as to Christ’s life, reads, in the New Translation, with note; “in the power of his life”; not in the distance, as is sometimes involved in faith, but a present experience.
JTJr Would Joseph’s position in Egypt illustrate the life of Christ in that way?
JT It would, in the sense of the name that Pharaoh gave him — Zaphnath-paaneah means ‘Saviour of the world’, or ‘Sustainer of life’. He is the preserver of the posterity of Israel, and it would be in a personal sense. When he made himself known to his brethren he said, “Come near to me, I pray you”, Genesis 45: 4. Their immediate contact with him, which in the antitype involves the Spirit, is stressed; and I think that is the point here. The Spirit has already been mentioned in chapter 5.
JS The man in Acts 3 was in the power of life — walking, and leaping, and praising God.
JT Quite so; it was by faith; but also by Peter’s hand: This implies the link of life. Peter says, “Look on us” (verse 4), and then he took hold of [p. 24] him by the right hand; and later the man held Peter and John, which corresponds with what we are saying: contact with Christ.
AR Is being reconciled to God, in view of being saved in Christ’s life, in order to be for God?
JT Reconciliation involves divine complacency, and precedes this thought of life: distance between us and divine Persons has been removed. Thus contact in a spiritual sense is open to us. If God has reconciled us, He has brought us into complacency with Himself; thus liberty to participate in Christ’s life is ours. Chapter 6 is a question of walking in life, but chapter 5 is that we come under the power of Christ personally in the life that He lives. This has to be understood by us. Reconciliation is through His death. “Through” is instrumentality, throwing light on what has been said as to His life. It is a matter of faith, as justification is, but to be saved by Christ’s life is further on.
ABP Is there a connection with Acts 1: “... to whom also he presented himself living” (verse 3)? I wondered whether that was in view of their being saved from the course of the world and being in power in testimony.
JT That is good. It is a very attractive position. He is presenting Himself. And then the Spirit says, “... being seen by them during forty days”. So that He would be as living clearly and attractively in their minds; not simply because of what He had done, but what He was as seen living after He suffered. How powerful and delightful His life would be! And they were to live in that life! What could turn them away from it? He invited them to handle Him. He says, “Handle me and see”, Luke 24: 39. “During forty days” would mean that He was seen in various presentations so that He might become known in His risen condition and be appropriated. John had appropriated Him before He died; he was “in the bosom of Jesus”, involving receptiveness on the Lord’s part.
The next point in our enquiry now is reigning in life. That is not only salvation but complete victory. “For if by the offence of the one death reigned by the one, much rather shall those who receive the abundance of grace, and of the free gift of righteousness, reign in life by the one Jesus Christ” (verse 17). One is dominant in his circumstances; he is not overcome by any eventuality.
CAM These truths would be learned by the apostle when he first bowed to the Lord. The greatness of His Person came livingly before Paul’s soul at the outset. He was “to see the just one, and to hear a voice out of his mouth”, Acts 22: 14.
JT Joseph alluded to his mouth. “And behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth which speaks to you”, Genesis 45: 12. I suppose no one would enjoy the Song of Songs more than Paul. And the Lord breathed into the disciples, involving intimacy. These facts help us as to nearness to Christ; contact with Him. Canticles fits in here. “His mouth is most sweet: ...” The book has largely in mind the attractiveness of Christ; also how He draws near to us. The feminine speaker speaks of His embrace and support of her head. He supports us in our intelligence, and in our affections; so that He becomes essential to us. It is not simply the life of faith, but the life of a Person, known in this way; known through contact by the Spirit; and this is victory. Paul says, “I have strength for all things in him that gives me power”, Philippians 4: 13. Also, “For me to live is Christ, and to die gain”, Philippians 1: 21. He speaks frequently about his relations with Christ, and we know how he reigned in life.
AAT What does “the free gift of righteousness”, (verse 17), [p. 26] involve?
JT It is God imputing righteousness to us, I would say, on the principle of faith. It is the liberality of it. “For if by the offence of the one death reigned by the one, much rather shall those who receive the abundance of grace, and of the free gift of righteousness, reign in life by the one Jesus Christ” (verse 17). We are fortified in our minds by these wonderful remarks before we come to the idea of reigning in life. It is not simply life reigning as grace reigns, but that we reign in life. The believer reigns in life, which would allude to his superiority and dominance wherever he is, whatever his circumstances. He is never overpowered. “Death has been swallowed up in victory ... but thanks to God, who gives us the victory by our Lord Jesus Christ”, 1 Corinthians 15: 54, 57.
CAM If you continue in that atmosphere you would be superior to everything.
JT Yes; especially those of us who have much to do, pressed as unable to keep up with our obligations, and the like. We are apt to be victims of circumstances. The Lord says, “Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place and rest a little”, Mark 6: 31. He would give us such a season to save us from being overcome by circumstances.
JTJr It implies a delivered person. We do not get deliverance in this chapter, but reigning in life is that the person is really in the good of deliverance.
JT Yes; really the first part of Romans, up to chapter 6, largely overlaps the second part, the first is what comes through Christ administratively. These wonderful things we are speaking of involve chapter 8, but chapter 8 is connected with the Spirit. Chapters 6 - 8 generally view the believer as in Christ.
ABP Those who reign in righteousness are said to “receive the abundance of grace, and of the free gift of righteousness”.
JT That is how you are furnished in view [p. 27] of reigning in life. We are built up on the line of divine gift, meeting other conditions in our souls. Righteousness overcomes any conscience matter, for “If our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart and knows all things”, 1 John 3: 20. That enters into this. God floods our hearts and consciences with Himself. He is greater than anything that can happen in relation to you, and that shuts out the devil and affords you time to settle matters. Certainly they are not to be settled in the presence of the devil! Faith, active in us, will shut him out. The Lord prayed for Peter that his faith should not fail; Luke 22: 32.
JS Does reigning in life anticipate the millennium?
JT It is more applicable now. For we shall reign there with Christ. We shall be changed, with nothing to disturb us inwardly at all. That is part of the gospel, one of its crowning features; believers reigning in life in a scene of death.
WCR Would the woman in John 4, as going back to the men of the city, be reigning in life?
JT In principle, she would. She was full of Christ; “Come, see a man” — she was full of Him herself and would have them full of Him. She was superior to any natural influences that might have been there.
RWS Is this victory in life over against death? Or is the latter eternal life?
JT It is active life we have in mind. As already said, eternal life, as usually presented, is more fixed. Although John says no murderer has eternal life abiding in him, the statement does not conflict with what we are saying — indeed it rather confirms it, for the positive would be that eternal life as in the believer is there in an abiding way — that is, as laid hold of and entered into as in Christ. “God has [p. 28] given to us eternal life; and this life is in his Son”, 1 John 5: 11.
ANW “By the one Jesus Christ”; what is the force of “by” there?
JT It is instrumental. You recognise it is through Him you are living. It is active. We see how the Lord affected the disciples during the forty days before He ascended. The two that went to Emmaus represented a drift toward the world. How were they to be kept? They must be affected by the principles of life by Him in whom alone they were. Even the great presentation of the truth by Himself on the way was not enough to divert them. It was Himself. His personal manner. “Was not our heart burning in us as he spoke to us on the way, and as he opened the scriptures to us?”
RWS I would like to get clear as to the difference between active life and what is fixed.
JT Eternal life is presented as objective: in this chapter grace is presented as reigning through righteousness to eternal life. That is an objective idea. Chapter 6 has this objective thought also — “the end eternal life ... the act of favour of God, eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”. It is something you are going on to, either morally or historically. But life as we have been speaking of it is a present active thing and necessary to salvation. In effecting it for us the Lord is seen in a more personal way. So that the “heart” of the two with whom He went to Emmaus was burning as He spoke with them; and this effect was completed by what transpired in the house. They would be affected by His presence there as we can readily understand. Some time would have elapsed, because evidently a meal was prepared. He took the house-father’s place at table, taking the bread, blessing and giving it to them. All this had a living character and would draw the two disciples to Him. They would begin to feel He was their life.
[p. 29] Their eyes were opened and they recognised Him. The intended effect was produced, and He departed from them. These facts, with others recorded as occurring during the forty days, show how the Lord became endeared and indispensable to the disciples, and now as the Spirit was received by them He became their life. They lived by Him.
JS Did they return to Jerusalem in the power of His life?
JT In principle, they did. The incoming of the Spirit would confirm the result of this experience in the Lord’s company. Indeed, in a sense, it would be confirmed as He was known by them in the assembly as they returned to Jerusalem.
JTJr The disciples were recognised later as those who had been “with Jesus”. That must have been the working out in their ministry of the effect of His influence upon them.
JT We can, perhaps, speak very little of it, but we can see that persons who were literally in the Lord’s company like those in Emmaus, and all of the others who with them were gathered when the Lord came into the midst, were genuinely affected by Him. According to John’s presentation of the same incident, the disciples were glad when they saw Him.
Ques “The just shall live by his faith”, (Habakkuk 2: 4); how would you connect that with what is before us?
JT That is the principle governing life in christianity — it is not by sight or by law. It is quoted in the New Testament in three connections.
AR The selection of Matthias was on the basis that he was with the Lord from the baptism of John until He was received up, which includes the forty days.
JT Yes; so that participation in His life now is dependent on our being with Him. The man in Acts 3 held Peter and John. He had the idea of [p. 30] contact. The development of the body of Christ is involved in that. It is remarkable that you get in the beginning these thoughts of contact. Peter, looking stedfastly with John upon the man at the gate of the temple, said, “Look on us”. He meant to direct his view to them. They reflected Christ and consequently the man stood by them and held them. He had the idea of contact in his mind, and John develops life in connection with the disciples’ contact with Christ — that which we have contemplated, and our hands handled; 1 John 1: 1.
APT The man expected to receive something. The chapter before us says, “Those who receive the abundance of grace, and of the free gift of righteousness, reign in life”, Romans 5: 17. What they receive is through the Person of Christ.
JT His feet and ankle bones were made strong. Peter had taken hold of him by the right hand.
ABP Fellowship amongst the saints and the ministry are all a help to us, but if we are to live, we must have personal contact and dealings with Christ.
JT That is the point for us today. It is how near we get to Him, and how near we allow Him to get to us. “And they constrained him, saying, Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is declining”, Luke 24: 29. They constrained Him, so that He did go in and stay.
AMacD Abigail had contact in her mind when she spoke to David about the bundle of the living with Jehovah.
APT There is no change in the government; the same regime continues.
JT Yes; it is your own regime. You are not reigning over anybody else; you are supreme in your circumstances.
WFK Is the reigning in life for service? Hezekiah says the ‘living’ praise Him.
JT Just so. You are dominant in yourself and [p. 31] your circumstances; but it is in life; thus you are free in the service of God.
JTJr Samson’s history should help us. No one could bind him. The men of Judah said to him, “Knowest thou not that the Philistines rule over us?” But he did not recognise that at all.
ABP When the Lord Jesus said to the woman who touched Him, “Go in peace”, He had in mind that she would be able to reign over her circumstances; over herself. She knew in herself that she had been healed. She would not need physicians any more.
JT The Lord said of Lazarus, “Loose him and let him go”, as over against what is said of the young man of Nain; he was delivered back to his mother. The reigning would be by his mother; care for him by her is contemplated; but Lazarus stands out in the dignity of one who is self-controlled; he is in the dignity and liberty of life. People came to see him. When the Lord comes for us, He will call the saints who are in the graves according to the example of Lazarus. He says, they shall go forth. To this end His raising power takes effect in them. “All who are in the tombs shall hear his voice, and shall go forth”, John 5: 28. They come out in life. It is “resurrection of life”. The wicked dead will go forth, too, but not at the same time; it will be to “resurrection of judgment” — in responsible existence, not life. The dead in Christ shall be quickened in their graves and come forth.
CAM How inscrutable it all is! In their graves they hear the voice of Christ.
ABP The Lord says, “Ye will not come to me that ye might have life”, John 5: 40. That links on with what you are saying?
JT Just so. And moreover, “He that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life”, John 8: 12. That is active life in [p. 32] Christ.
CN Does this involve the apprehension of a certain range of things established in Christ, and our participation in them?
JT That would be eternal life. Life in the fullness of it requires environment. We need the Spirit to participate in it. Verse 10 of Romans 5 is Christ’s life and how it affects us, which involves nearness to Him. Verse 17 is that I am enriched by the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness, so as to reign in life. We need to see the need of these things so as to overcome circumstances. That is one of the most difficult things we experience, to overcome circumstances; we are so easily affected by them.
WR 1 Thessalonians says that “whether we may be watching or sleep, we may live together with him”, chapter 5: 10.
JT That helps; living together with Him.
WGT “That the power of the Christ may dwell upon me”, 2 Corinthians 12: 9. Is that the thought?
JT Quite so. Paul also says, “I have strength for all things in him that gives me power”, (Philippians 4: 13), so that he is never overwhelmed by circumstances.
JTJr Would Abigail’s circumstances help us in this matter? She had Nabal, a fool, for a husband, involving painful experiences. But in principle she worked out the matter of life, and became victorious.
JT Her countenance did not indicate that she was overwhelmed. She was a woman of a beautiful countenance, indeed what is said of her indicates that she evidenced the energy of life, corresponding with David, who “was ruddy, and besides of a lovely countenance and beautiful appearance”, 1 Samuel 16: 12. She was in this sense the feminine counterpart of David, spiritually; the product of the ministry of the first book of Samuel. Typically, she was reigning in life.
FNW If young brothers in the services are deprived of the sphere of eternal life amongst the [p. 33] saints, may they enjoy victory in this active life?
JT Yes. This is a great point in the present pressure. You cannot but think of them day and night in that very connection. They are involuntarily drawn away. They are subject to the Government and all that, but the surroundings and what they have to do are foreign to them. The great point, therefore, for them is to reign in life where they are.
AR Some localities are suffering because brothers are working on Lord’s day. That is not overcoming in their circumstances.
JT It would not be if they are thinking of the increased wages. It is a question of whether we are influenced by the money. This is becoming a hindering and damaging influence. Jacob represents those affected by wages. His wages were changed ten times. It is remarkable that he kept count of them! It must have been a prime matter with him. Being a father, this would influence his children adversely. Even after Joseph was born, when the thought of returning to the promised land came strongly into his mind, he still remained in Padan-Aram, and evidently it was on account of wages. He made a bargain with his father-in-law about cattle. From this last arrangement he made with Laban he got a good return. He was wealthy when he started his home journey. He sent messengers to Esau who were to tell him of his large belongings; and later he sent droves of cattle to appease his brother. That was not reigning in life.
RWS Peter mentions the Spirit of Christ; is it the Holy Spirit who would give victory in the circumstances specified?
JT Yes; the first epistle of Peter has that in mind. It was written “to the sojourners of the dispersion”, which would mean pressure and discipline — they had been driven out from the land and the like,
[p. 34] but he brings out the features of life in the Spirit. In chapter 4: 12 - 14 he says, “Beloved, take not as strange the fire of persecution which has taken place amongst you for your trial, as if a strange thing was happening to you; but as ye have share in the sufferings of Christ, rejoice, that in the revelation of his glory also ye may rejoice with exultation. If ye are reproached in the name of Christ, blessed are ye; for the Spirit of glory and the Spirit of God rests upon you: on their part, he is blasphemed, but on your part he is glorified”. That expresses the thought under consideration. “The dispersion” involved sufferings. The second book of Psalms contemplates similar circumstances — persons driven out of Jerusalem, away from the place of their homes and their hopes, with no prospect of immediate relief. But Peter’s epistle implies that in those circumstances the believing Jews were victorious; they were reigning in life.
GVD Did not similar conditions prevail in Habakkuk’s day? There were oppressors and lawless workings generally, yet the prophet was superior, saying, “Yet I will rejoice in Jehovah, I will joy in the God of my salvation”, chapter 3: 18.
JT He is an excellent example of the truth we are considering. In the next verse Habakkuk says, “Jehovah, the Lord, is my strength, and he maketh my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon my high places. To the chief Musician. On my stringed instruments”. He is not only victorious in life, but moving on heavenly lines. He makes a remarkable contribution to the service of God.
SF Do the expressions in Romans 5 “for if” and “much rather” suggest that what is positive is stronger than what is negative?
JT That is right. They show the superiority in what came in through Christ over what came in through Adam.
[p. 35] Ques Would you say that Paul and Silas were reigning in life in the prison in Philippi?
JT A very good illustration. Like Habakkuk, in prayer they sang praises to God.
Justification of life is another phase of our subject. “So then as it was by one offence towards all men to condemnation, so by one righteousness towards all men for justification of life” (verse 18). That would indicate that I am justified by life, as James says, before men. What could be a better example of christianity than that?
AAT It involves the testimony.
JT Yes. What can you say to a man marked by that feature? In Acts it comes out several times. In chapter 2: 47 the disciples, it is said, had “favour with all the people”. Stephen also was a remarkable testimony to this effect of life; Peter and John with the man who had been healed, seen in chapter 4, were also witnesses. And in chapter 5 it is said the apostles were directed to “stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life”, Acts 5: 20. They went early into the temple and taught. They were examples of the power of life in testimony.
APT Bowing our heads in thanksgiving to God in public eating places is an evidence of the justification of life.
CAM The effect of this “towards all men” would be seen in the fact that the officers that were dealing with the apostles were afraid to act in violence towards them because of what the people felt; Acts 5: 26.
JT It is real christianity that we are speaking of, and nothing else will do for representation of God at the present time. Principles in themselves will not do. The truth must be proved in life.